Rockin' Our Turntable: Suckers

By Eric Hehr in Arts & Entertainment on Oct 1, 2011 7:00PM

Wait, hold on. Another buzzworthy band from Brooklyn writing off kilter indie music with erratic yelping and tribal beats? What are they putting in the PBR in Williamsburg that is causing young musicians to return to early Talking Heads albums for inspiration? Whatever it is, Suckers are drinking it by the gallon, and it’s working in their favor.

In April of 2009, Suckers released their debut four-song EP (produced by Yeasayers' Anand Wilder) to the acclamation of not only blog-o-sphere tastemakers, but also global outlets such as Rolling Stone, Interview, NME, and Nylon. The EP was a quick snapshot into the angular side of NYC’s emerging art-rock scene, and it proudly showcased the influence that David Byrne is having on a new generation of musicians. Since then, Suckers have been courted by every hip music publication under the sun, and MTV named Suckers their “breakout band of 2010.” Not only is this all a lot of buzz for a new band, but it's also a lot of pressure.

Considering the frantic nature of Suckers' arrangements, and the wide variety of influences present in their music - everything from Dirty Projectors to Modest Mouse - it would be safe to assume that the young band would prematurely blow their load on their first single, and then deliver an album worth of unfocused, negligent songs.

However, Suckers debut album, Wild Smile, is a hook-orientated album from start to finish; a collection of pop songs disguised as highbrow indie music. Beneath the fuzzed out synths, Afro-Caribbean counter rhythms, and ostentatious musical breaks, every song is built around catchy refrains. Take a song like “Roman Candles,” which instantly opens with a beguiling whistling hook ala Starlight Mints, or “Martha,” which demands a group sing-along against the redolence Fine Young Cannibals backbeat. The highlights of Wild Smile comes in the form of jovial dance-rock tunes like “Black Sheep,” where vocalist Quinn Walker does his best Byrne impersonation and somehow still manages to sound authentic. “You Can Keep Me Runnin’ Around” also recalls Talking Heads, with powerhouse drummer, Brian Aiken, keeping a strong bossa nova groove steady against polyphonic volume swells and playful back-up vocals.

The weaker moments of Wild Smile occur when Walker trades Byrne for Prince. The album opener, “Save Your Love For Me,” has a similar dynamic build to The Purple One's masterpiece, “Purple Rain.” The ballad begins with a delicate guitar line, a dated CP-80 electric piano, and wind chimes. The song is a slow burn to a triumphant ending, which explodes into a fury of unrestrained lead guitar and the most overstated falsetto wailing you have ever heard. On the song “2 Eyes 2 C,” (Need I say more?) the half-hearted Prince impressions continue against embellished tom fills and a double-octave bass line.

At its best, Wild Smile is an album that pays homage to it’s eclectic influences and still maintains a distinctly unique sound (see the band’s unofficial anthem “It Gets Your Body Moving”). At its worst, Wild Smile is an album that rips off some of the most ambitious songs ever written and falls comically short (see the gaudy album opener, “Save Your Love For Me”). However, even during its most grandiose and heavy-handed moments, the hooks on Wild Smile manage to endure. And while Suckers' maximalist approach may seem distracting, there are pop gems buried underneath the layers of production.